Alex Pereira-Israel Adesanya Trilogy Looms
MMA fighter Alex Pereira has confirmed that an announcement for his next fight is imminent, fueling speculation of a highly anticipated trilogy match against rival Israel Adesanya. Adesanya himself has called the potential upcoming bout the "biggest fight of my life," raising the stakes for one of the sport's most compelling rivalries.
- The rivalry between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya extends across two combat sports, with Pereira holding two victories over Adesanya in kickboxing. Their first kickboxing match in 2016 ended in a unanimous decision win for Pereira, and the second in 2017 saw Pereira win by knockout, which was the first time Adesanya had been knocked out in his career. - In their MMA encounters, the score is tied at one win apiece. Pereira defeated Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 281 in November 2022 via a fifth-round TKO. Adesanya reclaimed the title in their rematch at UFC 287 in April 2023 with a second-round knockout victory. - Following his loss to Adesanya, Alex Pereira moved up to the light heavyweight division. He has since become a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, most recently reclaiming the title by defeating Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 in October 2025. - Pereira is one of only nine fighters in UFC history to become a champion in two different weight divisions. He has expressed interest in moving up to the heavyweight division to attempt to become the first-ever three-division champion in the UFC. - Since his last fight with Pereira, Israel Adesanya has lost three consecutive fights, a first in his professional MMA career. His record now stands at 24 wins and 5 losses. - Due to his recent losses, Adesanya has fallen to number six in the UFC middleweight rankings, his first time outside the top five since 2019. - Adesanya is scheduled to fight Joe Pyfer on March 28, 2026, in a bout he has referred to as the "biggest fight of my life" in a non-title context.
